Misioneros, Part 1

OK, we're enjoying sharing pictures and little pithy sayings with you all here on our blog, but we have been having so many other thoughts and questions that we want to share with you! So we are going to start being more loquacious--beginning with this series of blog posts with some of our thoughts and reflections on "missions." Feel free to comment away or send us emails to engage in this conversation with us.

We are often referred to as "missionaries" (by people in North America) or "misioneros" (by people here). Let me (Beth) preface all my questions by saying that I have deep respect for so many people who have devoted their lives to cross-cultural understanding and ministry as "missionaries." They are very humble, and while I won't name names here, you adventurous, self-sacrificing people know who you are.

So here are some questions . . . Am I a missionary? What is a missionary? What is the mission? As I was growing up, here was my general understanding of "missions": "God loves the world, but there are some people who don't know Jesus, and they are going to hell if we don't tell them. How committed are you to God? Because there are several ways Christians can be involved . . . people who send, people who give, people who pray, and people who go to tell the lost about Jesus." Now which of those options do you think my oldest-child, overachieving, looking-for-adventure kind of personality is going to choose?! Of course I want to be a missionary. But then I learn about "missions" in history and I go to college and start learning about Western imperialism and I go to Egypt and see how much I have to learn from other cultures (and even religions!) and I work in LA and learn about racism and cultural superiority and I start to get really gun-shy of this term "missionary." And now I have more questions, like: What does it mean to "know Jesus"? Who are "the lost"? I know that I want to follow Jesus, and I firmly believe that means (at least in part) embodying the Kingdom and mutually demonstrating love and empowering others to follow Jesus (as they empower me too). Plus, I believe that my specific vocation may have something to do with inter-cultural communication. So there's a little background on me personally. . . there's much more to come--more of my thoughts, comments from Nicaraguans, fellow MCC team members, academic missiological journals, Henri Nouwen, etc.--in parts 2-? :)

(Photos: Can you find the missionaries in these pictures? The top one is from a worship service/anniversary celebration of a Mennonite church in Managua, the bottom one is from our recent work and learn team here from North America)

Some favorite pictures

Here are some of our favorite pictures from the last couple weeks!






Pigs are just as common as dogs and chickens in rural communities.











Nicaragua has really breathtaking views--this area still has forests and rain.





This little friend got the leg of the Winnie the Pooh piñata while visiting (with a group from Canada) an educational project of the Brethren in Christ social commission, sponsored by MCC.

Mujeres Fuertes, Part 3

Through various avenues, I continue to be drawn into the struggle of women here. I have heard startling and heart-wrenching statistics about prostitution/sexual abuse here. Women continue to be objectified at every age and every level, from demeaning cat calls on the street to little girls being given into sexual service to support their families (and everything in between). I have also heard from some very compassionate and hopeful responses to these tragedies. For example, a couple weeks ago I heard a great presentation by a woman here who is working with women to give them options outside of prostitution--see this website for more info: http://www.houseofhopenicaragua.com/aboutus.html

I also had the opportunity to meet a very young, savvy Nicaraguan businesswoman and to see the workshop that she runs with the other women in her rural community.

In Asiento Viejo, we met women who are working with a community garden project that MCC is helping to accompany. It was great to see the way they felt pround and empowered as they are able to care for the garden and sell the vegetables. And last week, while meeting with a group of women, I even preached my first sermon in Spanish!

-Elizabet

Check out the newsletter!

Our winter newsletter has finally arrived! You can find it on the right-hand side of this blog (you might need to scroll down just a little) under the "Newsletters" section. Depending on your internet connection, you may need to wait a little while it downloads. Enjoy!
--Alan & Elizabet